The Twelve Days of Fujicest
by Jewelieishness
Summary: Complete. Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own. Happy birthday!
1. Chapter 1: The First Day

**A/N: Happy birthday, Yuuta! Oh, and as a side note – not many of these chapters will hit the one thousand word mark, let alone over it. There's only one prompt per chapter, which is...yeah.**

**Title:** The Twelve Days of Fujicest

**Rating:** G

**Fandom:** Prince of Tennis

**Pairing:** Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta

**Genre:** Romance/Humor

**Warnings: **First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.

**Summary: **Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the first day of Fujicest_

_Aniki gave to me_

_A cactus named Mizuki_

--

"There are exactly twelve days between our birthdays, Yuuta-kun," Syuusuke commented on one February 17th. Thumbing through the pocket calendar, he added, "That's very interesting."

"Whatever, Aniki," Yuuta grumbled, already annoyed at his (not so smart) decision to come home for the early spring break. He urgently pressed the fork into his sister's handmade pie, vaguely looking like he was stabbing it.

"Have you ever heard of the song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'?" Syuusuke questioned, lifting his cup of white tea to his mouth. He crossed his legs, sitting primly on the ivory white chair. Then he blew gently on the liquid and drank in, reveling in the lightly flavoured warmth.

Yuuta chewed the bite of raspberry filling in his mouth, then swallowed. "What about it?" He hoped whatever his older brother had in mind wasn't _too_ bad – after all, there was no stopping Fuji Syuusuke when he had his mind fixed on a goal.

Syuusuke smirked, almost unnoticeably – Yuuta choked on his pie. That _never_ meant _anything _good!

"Who knows, Yuuta-kun," Syuusuke practically purred, getting up from his chair. "If you'll excuse me, I must go purchase something, now..."

Yuuta trembled. Maybe he should go back to St. Rudolph?

--

"Happy birthday, Yuuta-kun!" trilled a voice that Yuuta did _not_ want to hear first thing in the morning. Squinting, he yawned and pulled off the covers, muttering a rather rude "Good morning to you too, Aniki."

Then what his brother had said finally registered in his mind, and he suddenly felt wide awake. "Hold on, it's my birthday?"

"Yes," giggled Syuusuke, who was holding a strangely shaped present. "Happy birthday, Yuuta-kun." He held out the gift – which was about as high as Yuuta's arm was long.

Blinking, Yuuta politely thanked him for the present, then examined it, trying to guess what it was.

"Guess before you open it," Syuusuke said cheerfully. Yuuta scowled.

He traced a finger lightly over the edges, making note of the slender bottom and the way it stretched out more at the top. It looked almost like a small bonsai tree, but if it really was a plant – which Yuuta suspected it was, considering how carefully Syuusuke had been handling it – it would be a cactus. His brother was scarily fond of cactus; almost to the point of obsession.

"A cactus?" Yuuta guessed, adding an uncertain note into his voice. After all, Syuusuke was unpredictable.

Syuusuke grinned. "Who knows...open it and see, Yuuta."

So Yuuta tugged at the cobalt blue ribbon, undoing the elaborate, overly-complicated bow. Then, setting it down on his nightstand, he proceeded to carefully remove the wrapping paper, smoothing out the often-appearing creases, being painfully neat about the entire process.

Yuuta actually preferred tearing the decorative materials off like a rabid animal. He wouldn't, however, give Syuusuke the satisfaction of seeing him act as a little kid.

Not surprisingly, a simple cactus was eventually given its freedom from the azure-coloured paper.

Syuusuke beamed as Yuuta touched it with hesitant fingers. "You can name it whatever you want, Yuuta. It's yours now."

"...I see." Yuuta briefly pondered the merits of decking his ignorant Aniki; cacti were _his _thing, not Yuuta's. What was he hoping to achieve by doing this? Or was he just that ignorant...? Not everybody liked the things that he liked, after all, and some people were just that arrogant. Atobe Keigo came to mind easily.

Instead, he chose an approach that was just as effective, but less violent. "You're supposed to name the cactus after someone you're fond of, aren't you?"

"Well." A light, tinkling laugh. "Sometimes, if you wish. I have so many cacti, though, I run out of people and start just using names I like..."

Yuuta interrupted, feeling a wave of pleasure as the next words fell from his mouth. "Then I'll name it after Mizuki-san."

Silence.

Syuusuke's eyes snapped open, narrowing. "You're _what_?"

"I owe Mizuki-san _everything_," Yuuta answered innocently. "It wouldn't be right to not name it after him, right?"

If he weren't always so faux-happy, Syuusuke would've scowled; as it was, he forced himself to keep smiling. "But Yuuta-kun, don't you have someone else in your life who has done more for you?" He paused, pretending to think. "For example...me? Even Akazawa-san?"

"Buchou doesn't really do much," Yuuta replied, strategically ignoring the first option. "He just sits back and lets Mizuki-san control everything."

"Yumiko-'nee-san? Okaa-san?" Syuusuke resorted to counting off their family members. "What about father? He works hard every day to bring home money, you know."

"'Nee-san makes good pie," Yuuta admitted after a moment. "And Mom's done a lot for me, and I'm grateful to dad, too, but...Yumiko. Yoshiko. You understand what I mean? It just...feels unnatural, saying my older sister's and mother's given names...It's even worse when I try it with Dad."

Syuusuke gave in, silently fuming inside. "And me?"

"...Have I ever called you anything other than Aniki?" Yuuta smiled patiently. _Yes, keep going, Yuuta. You've almost made him snap...oh, this is the _best _birthday _ever! _Perfect, really!_

"But...what about Yanagisawa-kun?" Syuusuke argued, almost desperate. "Kisarazu-kun?" He racked his brain for names, feeling some amount of shame at not knowing his own brother's team. "...Nomura-kun?"

"Yanagisawa-senpai is kind of annoying," Yuuta explained, smirking internally. "Kisarazu-senpai and I aren't really close. Nomura-fuku-buchou keeps calling me 'Fuji's little brother', and you know how I feel about that. Really, Mizuki-san is the closest person to me on the tennis team. There's nobody else I could possibly have in mind."

Syuusuke frowned, signaling forfeiture. "Fine, Yuuta-kun. _Fine_."

He left the room, only barely resisting the urge to slam the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2: The Second Day

**A/N: This **_**would've**_** been up earlier, but the document processor was being awful to me...D:**

**Title:** The Twelve Days of Fujicest

**Rating: **G

**Fandom:** Prince of Tennis

**Pairing: **Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta

**Genre: **Romance/Humor

**Warnings:** First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.

**Summary:** Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the second day of Fujicest_

_Aniki gave to me..._

--

Yuuta should've predicted revenge. He should've known by now that his older brother _always_ got the last laugh.

...But he didn't, and that why Mizuki was briskly walking towards him, then backhanding his face. Yuuta fell onto the ground with a thud, and he stared up at his (ex-)boyfriend.

"What...Mizuki-san, that was uncalled for - "

"Uncalled for?!" Mizuki shrieked. "Tell me that was 'uncalled for' when I tell you that your brother, Fuji Syuusuke, informed me that you two were having _incestuous relations_, and that I should back off if I know what's good for me!"

Yuuta did an imitation of a fish then, unable to find words to explain just how put off by the idea he was.

"I thought so." Mizuki raised a hand to his curls melodramatically. "You've been cheating on me, Yuuta, and you don't even feel guilty." A sob that sounded like it'd been practiced. "I don't ever want to see you again!" And the flamboyant boy ran off.

After a few moments, Yuuta finally found his voice. "..._Aniki._"

--

"I never said that," Syuusuke smiled patiently, stirring the plant food occasionally as he added an appropriate amount of water. "Your manager must be on something...what was his name, Minami-san?"

"_Mizuki_-san," Yuuta gritted out from behind his grinding teeth. "Is most definitely not on something. Aniki, seriously, what did you say?!"

Syuusuke's smile broadened. "Saa." (**1**)

"Aniki," Yuuta whined, drawing out the last syllable and adding a kicked puppy look to his eyes for effect.

Syuusuke's smile tightened, almost unnoticeably. "Fine then...but I really said nothing of the sort, Yuuta-kun. I only told him that we have a very close relationship that I broke up with Kojirou for, and that he shouldn't get in the way of our purely _platonic_ relationship." He emphasized 'platonic', opening his eyes and gazing meaningfully at his younger brother.

"...You broke up with Saeki-san? Why?" Yuuta's face portrayed bewilderment.

"So that I could spend more time with you, of course, Yuuta," Syuusuke said cheerfully, closing his eyes again. A wicked grin spread its way across his lips. "Though if you wish for our relationship to be _more_ than just platonic..."

"No, please, Aniki, don't joke like that." Yuuta shivered. "And could you not call me by _just _my first name? It's _weird_." (**2**)

Syuusuke beamed. "But we're close enough, aren't we, Yuuta?" He shook the bag just as an extra precaution, then handed it to his brother. "This will be good for your cactus."

And that's when he got it. This whole 'mess-up-Yuuta's-relationship' thing was _revenge_ for his cactus's name.

Yuuta frowned. Of course. His older brother _always_ got the last laugh.

_Well not this time. _Yuuta grabbed the plastic baggie, muttering a quick thank you before retreating to his room.

--

_...Two ex-boyfriends,_

_And a cactus named Mizuki._

(**1**) - Saa is roughly 'who knows'.

(**2**)- This is also known as _yobisute_. Only really close friends and family members usually refer to one another without the use of an honorific. If you do it to someone you have only met a few minutes ago or if you're doing it without that person's permission, it's usually considered rude.


	3. Chapter 3: The Third Day

**A/N: Mm, I wish I wasn't so lazy so that maybe I could write longer chapters...**

**Title:** The Twelve Days of Fujicest  
**Rating:** G  
**Fandom:** Prince of Tennis  
**Pairing:** Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta  
**Genre:** Romance/Humor  
**Warnings:** First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.  
**Summary:** Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the third day of Fujicest_

_Aniki gave to me..._

--

Yuuta blinked in confusion as three rolls of grip tape dropped onto his desk. Immediately knowing who was behind him (not many of the Fuji clan played tennis, you see), he asked, "Are those for me?"

Syuusuke beamed. "Yes, Yuuta-_kun_." Yuuta breathed a small sigh of relief as he heard the honorific. To be truthful, _yobisute_ disturbed him. When it was Aniki using it, anyway.

But then Syuusuke laughed, corrected himself ("Sorry, I meant Yuuta"), explained about force of habit, and Yuuta was disturbed again.

"Uh, yeah...but thanks for the grip tape," Yuuta picked one of the rolls up, examining the label. The brand name was 'Prince' – well-known and very good. "Ibu-kun and Echizen-kun are always buying out all the damn grip tape in my favourite store."

"No problem, Yuuta. And getting grip tape is actually very easy at Seigaku...Tezuka buys it from another store, and he's always making sure we have a stock of it, anyway." A light, tinkling laugh sounded. Syuusuke walked over to the cactus, gently touching one of the spines. "Ah...and this looks extremely healthy. You must be taking good care of it." He paused, seemingly innocent; though Yuuta knew better than to believe that, though. "What was it's name again...?"

Oh. This again. Yuuta rolled his eyes inwardly, and replied, with the sweetest tone he could muster - "Mizuki."

"Didn't you two break up?" Syuusuke asked, all smiles and kindness. Yuuta had to resist the urge to push him out the window, which was conveniently open in the case that his brother _did _step over the line.

"Yes, but it's not like you can just change someone's name," Yuuta answered. "Mother doesn't go around changing our names at every whim, does she?"

"Well, no," Syuusuke relented, obviously bothered and thinking that this turn of events was unexpected. "But maybe you should make an exception for this...he_ did_ slap you and all, and then didn't give you the chance to explain, right?"

Yuuta frowned suspiciously. "Hey, all I told you was that Mizuki-san accused me of cheating on him with you and that he said you said something, how did you know all _that_?!"

"Ummm," Syuusuke stammered, trying desperately to maintain his dignity. "I, uh, I know a lot of things."

"Right," Yuuta countered doubtfully. "You were _spying_, Aniki."

"Was not," Syuusuke returned childishly, crossing his arms in defiance.

Yuuta raised an eyebrow. "Just admit you did it and I'll forgive you." His voice was stern, and he felt a sudden role-reversal; he was acting an awful lot like an older brother, and Syuusuke was taking the part of a whiny little sibling.

_Not_ that he was whiny, mind you. He simply complained a lot.

"But I really didn't," Syuusuke insisted, leaning against the fresh white wall of Yuuta's room. "I had Inui do it for me." Yuuta scoffed, retorting that it was the same thing.

"But whatever. Just...stop with this stupid naming thing," Yuuta said in a disgruntled tone. "It's name is Mizuki, and that's not changing, got it, Aniki?"

Syuusuke pouted. "But Yuuta - "

"Ah!" Yuuta held up his left index finger. "No ifs, ands, or buts. Now get out of my room, I have midterms next week."

"That's not fair," Syuusuke hissed, dramatically storming out of his room.

Yuuta watched his brother's retreating back, smirking. _Game and set, Fuji Yuuta. 6-0._

--

_Three rolls of grip tape,_

_Two ex-boyfriends,_

_And a cactus named Mizuki._


	4. Chapter 4: The Fourth Day

**A/N: -Chews thoughtfully on food.- **

**Title:** The Twelve Days of Fujicest (4/12)  
**Rating:** G  
**Fandom:** Prince of Tennis  
**Pairing:** Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta  
**Genre: **Romance/Humor  
**Warnings: **First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.  
**Summary: **Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the fourth day of Fujicest_

_Aniki gave to me..._

--

Yuuta was secretly very scared now.

He wouldn't admit it, but he _was_. Actually, anyone would be scared after they'd outsmarted Fuji Syuusuke; not once, but _thrice_. Yuuta was almost definite that his Aniki would take revenge.

So of course he would come close to wetting his pants when said older brother knocked politely on the door. "Yuuta," Syuusuke called effeminately.

"Yeah, uh...coming, hold on a second," Yuuta answered, not at all disturbed by the lack of honorific. He was actually kind of used to it now. Then again, he had to be quick to bend to other's whims if Mizuki-san was his manager and once-boyfriend. Yuuta obediently opened his door, letting Syuusuke in without protest.

Syuusuke's eyes opened, revealing a clear blue. The smile on his face widened slightly. "Yuuta...you know, the bottoms of my tennis shoes are starting to skid and sometimes slip a little...would you like to go shopping with me? I promise it won't take long, I just thought it'd be a nice chance for us to bond..." He continued, adding that he needed a racquet restrung and that maybe another one wouldn't do any harm, either...

Yuuta barely heard past the word 'shopping'. Now he was _really_ scared.

--

Yuuta glanced over at the brand-name shoes just once more – another look couldn't hurt, right?

"If you want them, just ask," Syuusuke said dryly, amused as he watched his brother ogle those new shoes. "I'll pay and all, Yuuta."

Yuuta fumbled with his response, caught off-guard. "Um...that's okay, Aniki, really...I probably couldn't decide between the blue ones or the red ones, anyway - "

"I'll just treat you to both," Syuusuke said matter-of-factly, scooping up two boxes (that were Yuuta's exact size; the younger Fuji marveled at how observant his Aniki was).

"But...but it's not...I...they're _expensive,_" Yuuta blubbered uselessly. Syuusuke was already at the counter, paying a good 12,000 yen for each pair. Add the two thousand he was paying for his own shoes.

Syuusuke returned with bags, leaving an extremely happy storekeeper waving and hollering to come back again soon, okay? "Hmm...but you have to let me treat you once in a while, Yuuta. I never got the chance to spoil you after you left..."

Yuuta flushed, trying to ignore his older brother's words as the larger bag was handed to him. "Ah...thank you again, Aniki...I'll try to make it up to you someday."

Syuusuke smiled serenely. "No need, Yuuta."

--

_Four tennis shoes,_

_Three rolls of grip tape,_

_Two ex-boyfriends,_

_And a cactus named Mizuki._


	5. Chapter 5: The Fifth Day

**A/N: I'm writing this with a very annoying kid behind me singing the alphabet. So if it's screwed up, don't blame me x.x**

**Title:** The Twelve Days of Fujicest (5/12)

**Rating:** G

**Fandom:** Prince of Tennis

**Pairing: **Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta

**Genre: **Romance/Humor

**Warnings: **First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.

**Summary: **Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the fifth day of Fujicest_

_Aniki gave to me..._

--

Syuusuke was starting to get tired of Yuuta's fawning over the shoes.

So he asked pleasantly, "Yuuta, would you like to try them out?" He waved vaguely at the shoes with his newly restrung racquet.

"..." Yuuta grinned. "Sure, Aniki. I'll beat you this time."

--

Yuuta was rather discouraged as Syuusuke took yet another point. _3-0,_ the game count droned in his mind.

"Hmm, Yuuta..." Syuusuke thought a moment, glancing down at his fingers, counting off something, and making Yuuta wonder exactly what he was planning. "I'll...okay. Your serve now."

Yuuta hit the ball, carefully observed the return, took in the speed of the ball, and paced himself to catch up to it just as it began to rise. Super Rising Shot was his signature, as the Triple Counters were Syuusuke's. Surprisingly, it threw off Syuusuke's timing – didn't he return it last time? - and Yuuta scored an easy point.

"Ah, sorry, Yuuta," Syuusuke apologized. "My foot caught on a small pebble..."

Yuuta nodded understandingly, serving once more.

--

Either Syuusuke had turned extremely unlucky, because his shoelace was coming undone every game, and the sun would get into his eyes, or he was starting to lag and was just making excuses.

The thought ran absently through Yuuta's head as the St. Rudolph student took his fifth love-game. "Aniki, are you okay?"

Syuusuke flipped his bangs back, breathing just heavily enough to be heard. "Nothing is wrong with me, Yuuta. You've gotten better." His tone was genuine, but old habits died hard, and Yuuta couldn't help suspecting something.

_What if Aniki's throwing the games? Is this some strategy?_ He vaguely remembered Mizuki-san being given five games and then having seven taken. Seven _love-games_, which Yuuta found slightly hard to believe, and admittedly amazing.

"Thanks, Aniki," Yuuta said after a moment.

Syuusuke's eyes snapped open as he grinned. "Let's really test your abilities now, shall we, Yuuta?" Disappearing serve.

--

Yuuta flopped onto his bed, exhausted and clean from the shower. "God _damn_ you, Aniki."

--

_...Five love-games,_

_Four tennis shoes,_

_Three rolls of grip tape,_

_Two ex-boyfriends,_

_And a cactus named Mizuki._


	6. Chapter 6: The Sixth Day

**A/N: -Laughs- I don't update this the way normal people do it...**

**Title:** The Twelve Days of Fujicest (6/12)

**Rating:** G

**Fandom:** Prince of Tennis

**Pairing: **Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta

**Genre: **Romance/Humor

**Warnings:** First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.

**Summary:** Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the sixth day of Fujicest_

_Aniki gave to me..._

--

"I'm hungry," Yuuta said randomly. Syuusuke laughed in response.

"We just had breakfast a few moments ago..."

Yuuta frowned. "Yeah, well I'm hungry." He rubbed his stomach to emphasize, and a guttural growling sound emanated. The elder Fuji turned, surprised and slightly amused (if the raised eyebrow and quirk of his lips meant anything).

"Oh. You do sound hungry, Yuuta." Syuusuke thought for a moment. "How about I take you out for sushi?"

Yuuta grinned. "This is why everyone thinks you're so cool, Aniki."

--

"Fujiko-chan, do you..." Kawamura was silenced by an open-eyed glare. He meekly put the platter down on the table between the Fuji brothers. "...Um, enjoy, please."

"Thank you, Taka-san," Syuusuke said cheerfully, his eyelids returning to their usual place like a sword to its sheath. "Now, Yuuta. Eat."

Yuuta was so inexplicably hungry that he began to stuff his face, ignoring the nagging curiosity inside that demanded he check what was inside the wrapped seaweed and rice first.

Thus he was pouring his tenth water bottle down his throat.

"Aniki...stupid aniki," Yuuta choked out angrily between gulps of water. "Wasabi rolls, of all things! You just_ had_ to go and order _wasabi_ rolls!"

Syuusuke chuckled warmly, holding out an eleventh. "I wanted to see if you had the same...immunity that I did. And I see now – you don't."

Yuuta would've probably stabbed his older brother, but his mouth was currently on _fire_, so he simply snatched the bottle and said no more.

"I wonder if your cactus has immunity," Syuusuke continued absently.

Yuuta spit out his water, dumbfounded. "_Aniki_!"

--

_...Six wasabi rolls,_

_Five love-games,_

_Four tennis shoes,_

_Three rolls of grip tape,_

_Two ex-boyfriends,_

_And a cactus named Mizuki._


	7. Chapter 7: The Seventh Day

**A/N: I'm a mess of contradictions. Writing is a form of self-expression. Thus everything I put out is a mess of contradictions?**

**Title: **The Twelve Days of Fujicest (7/12)

**Rating:** G

**Fandom**: Prince of Tennis

**Pairing: **Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta

**Genre: **Romance/Humor

**Warnings:** First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.

**Summary: **Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the seventh day of Fujicest_

_Aniki gave to me..._

--

"No," Yuuta hissed, pushing with all his might against the door. "Stay _out_ of my room, Aniki. I don't want to see you again during the rest of my vacation time here!"

"But Yuuta," Syuusuke sing-songed annoyingly. Annoying because only Syuusuke could put out that kind of voice and not sound completely like a girl. Shouldn't it be the reverse, considering how soft and high his voice was in the first place?! "I have something for you! You shouldn't be so mean to your brother..."

Yuuta could completely envision the pout his brother was putting on display. Rolling his eyes, he screeched, "No! No means NO, okay Aniki? I don't _want_ anything from you, not after the wasabi incident from yesterday."

"Oh. Oh, that?" A pause.

"...I'm sorry, Yuuta." Yuuta fumbled with words, finding the lifting feeling in his heart far too distracting. It was like a huge burden had just been sent flying off his shoulders, like the moment when his racquet connected with the ball. Like vanilla ice cream on top of apple pie, like a splash of cold water on a hot summer day -

_Let's not get poetic here,_ Yuuta mentally berated himself. He cleared his throat, trying to determine what would be a proper response. "Uh...I..."

An uncertain laugh sounded from the other side of the heavy maple wood. "It was only a joke, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Yuuta sighed. "...Come in, Aniki." He removed his own weight from the door, letting it glide open as Syuusuke pushed it gently.

"Thank you, Yuuta," Syuusuke said softly. The younger brother lifted one shoulder in fake nonchalance, fighting the urge to return it with a learned 'you're welcome'.

A small sack – tiny enough to fit in the palm of his hand – was unceremoniously dropped onto Yuuta's desk, just by the cactus dubbed 'Mizuki'.

Yuuta picked it up, running a finger over the short, forest green fuzz. "Um...Aniki...what's this?" His tone was awkward.

Syuusuke's mouth formed the first syllable of the word 'guess', but he seemed to rethink it and then informed Yuuta that it was "candy drops, just candy drops."

"Why would you give me candy drops?" Yuuta opened the bag, stretching the drawstrings. As expected, there were several assorted wrapped candies. He performed a mental count – seven, precisely.

"To create irony," Syuusuke said wryly. "Wasabi rolls on the sixth, then candy drops on the seventh - "

"Sixth? Seventh?" Yuuta's brow furrowed in confusion. What was his brother playing at? Syuusuke paled, though almost unnoticeably.

"It's, uh, it's nothing, Yuuta," Syuusuke murmured, trying to put his supposedly 'genius' brain to use. "I..."

"Wait, today it's been a week after my birthday," Yuuta announced, math clicking in his head. "A week equals seven days." Now exactly what was up with his birthday...?

Syuusuke swallowed a hard lump in his throat. If Yuuta remembered what he'd said the day before his birthday, then the entire plan would be revealed. Shot. Destroyed. He silently prayed that Yuuta wouldn't make the connection – Syuusuke only had once every four years to put something like this into action, and it wouldn't be right if he was seen through...he'd have to wait another four years!

Thankfully, Yuuta didn't, but he glanced suspiciously at Syuusuke anyway. "There's something you're not telling me, Aniki. But...if I ask, you're probably not going to tell me, are you." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. A matter of fact. "That's okay, though. I'll find out myself."

Syuusuke bowed humbly. "Perhaps, Yuuta. Who knows."

He turned to leave the room.

--

_...Seven candy drops,_

_Six wasabi rolls,_

_Five love-games,_

_Four tennis shoes,_

_Three rolls of grip tape,_

_Two ex-boyfriends,_

_And a cactus named Mizuki._


	8. Chapter 8: The Eighth Day

**A/N: My head hurts, I need to get a shoulder pad and new strings for my violin, and I have two projects due for school. So what do I do? I sit down and write Fujicest. x.x**

**Title: **The Twelve Days of Fujicest (8/12)

**Rating:** G

**Fandom:** Prince of Tennis

**Pairing:** Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta

**Genre:** Romance/Humor

**Warnings: **First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.

**Summary: **Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the eighth day of Fujicest,_

_Aniki gave to me..._

--

Yuuta had just discovered that Aniki was up to something. Something that was most likely not good.

So exactly why he was in the middle of the woods with aforementioned Aniki under his own will, and with no adult supervision, he had no idea.

Actually, he had an inkling of what might've happened. _Dammit, I just can't resist those puppy eyes, can I._

Syuusuke's camera snapped again, sending out a blinding flash of light.

Yuuta blinked to remove the sunspots, and scowled. "That light is completely unnecessary here, Aniki! It's so sunny out!"

Syuusuke grinned. "Sunlight isn't dependable, Yuuta-kun..." He tapped the camera, nodding slightly. "It hides the image you were actually trying to capture with blinding light. And it's tinted with colour anyway..."

Yuuta shrugged, swatting at a mosquito. "Whatever."

Syuusuke frowned. "You should learn, Yuuta. Photography is a very interesting hobby." And with that, he dumped a total of eight cameras into his younger brother's lap. A single thought ran through Yuuta's mind: _Today's the eighth day of whatever he's planning._

"What the hell - " Yuuta grasped at one, reading the English label with some amount of difficulty. "Fu...Fuji?"

Syuusuke nodded. "Fujifilm is a huge company dedicated to photography."

"...So you started this weird hobby because it has the same name as our family?" Yuuta didn't bother to hide his amusement. "Aniki, sometimes I think you're _more_ conceited than Atobe-san - "

Syuusuke shook his head, smiling. "Nope – for the memories that photographing provides. Though I'll admit it was a side benefit - "

Yuuta whacked him in the arm, laughing.

After a short protest and a bit of whining, Syuusuke started to laugh too.

--

_...Eight Fuji cameras,_

_Seven candy drops,_

_Six wasabi rolls,_

_Five love-games,_

_Four tennis shoes,_

_Three rolls of grip tape,_

_Two ex-boyfriends,_

_And a cactus named Mizuki._


	9. Chapter 9: The Ninth Day

**A/N: Almost done **

**Title:** The Twelve Days of Fujicest (9/12)

**Rating: **G

**Fandom: **Prince of Tennis

**Pairing:** Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta

**Genre:** Romance/Humor

**Warnings: **First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.

**Summary: **Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the ninth day of Fujicest,_

_Aniki gave to me..._

--

"This is Tezuka. You know who Tezuka is, he's over here sometimes for homework." Syuusuke smiled and elegantly moved to the next regular. "This is Oishi. You know him too...as well as Eiji, and Taka-san. Hmm...and you know Echizen...oh, and Inui..."

"Stupid Aniki," Yuuta grumbled. "I know your entire team."

"He would," Inui added, adjusting his glasses. "Mizuki-san is a thorough data-gatherer. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Fuji-kun knew all of the Kantou region's tennis players due to hanging around Mizuki-san so much."

Fuji clapped. "That's good. Now, entertain him."

"..." Tezuka and Echizen exchanged brief glances - a mix between amusement and confusion.

"What do you mean, Fujiko-chan?" Kikumaru asked eagerly, bouncing on the balls of his feet like a hyperactive child.

Fuji smiled. "Sing. Dance. Entertain Yuuta-kun, would you?"

"..." Tezuka and Echizen exchanged brief glances – a mix between _horror_ and confusion.

Kaidoh exhaled loudly.

--

"Mada mada dane, Momo-chan-senpai," Echizen called out as the second-year finished his solo (that was rather hard on the ears, by the way).

"Too bad, regrets, see you next week," Kikumaru agreed, flinging an arm over his motherly doubles partner. Oishi flushed at the casual action.

"I bet _you _couldn't do better," Momoshiro countered, glaring at Echizen. The capped boy scoffed and snatched the microphone from his senpai.

As Momoshiro watched Echizen's back, shocked, Tezuka's eyes glittered and he said, "Don't let your guard down, Echizen."

Echizen turned, cocking a brow. "Really? Well, I wanna sing a duet, buchou."

"..." Tezuka stood up, walking with slight hesitance towards the makeshift stage (an overturned table and plank). "It seems I left my guard down..."

"Get a room," Yuuta muttered under his breath in disgust, watching Echizen subtly grope the captain's hand as Tezuka reached for a spare microphone.

Syuusuke chuckled warmly, having overheard the comment. He did happen to be right next to Yuuta, after all. "They do seem rather obvious today, don't they."

--

It turned out to be worth the sickening sweetness, though. Tezuka and Echizen had extremely nice voices, and Yuuta clapped as genuinely as anyone as 'Arigatou' ended.

"Ne, Yuuta," Syuusuke whispered. "I think we could be better than them."

Yuuta's eyes widened.

--

_...Nine Seigaku regulars,_

_Eight Fuji cameras,_

_Seven candy drops,_

_Six wasabi rolls, _

_Five love-games,_

_Four tennis shoes,_

_Three rolls of grip tape,_

_Two ex-boyfriends,_

_And a cactus named Mizuki._


	10. Chapter 10: The Tenth Day

**A/N: I'm itching to get done here x)**

**Title:** The Twelve Days of Fujicest (10/12)

**Rating:** G

**Fandom:** Prince of Tennis

**Pairing: **Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta

**Genre: **Romance/Humor

**Warnings: **First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.

**Summary: **Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the tenth day of Fujicest,_

_Aniki gave to me..._

--

Yuuta's cellphone rang, and he dropped his racquet to retrieve it from his pocket. The random person he'd picked off the street courts protested, but Yuuta didn't listen to a word. "Moshi moshi?"

"Yuuta, what are your ten favourite ice cream flavours?" Syuusuke asked as if it wasn't totally the most random thing Yuuta had heard in a long time.

Yuuta twitched. "Aniki...what's this for...anyway, vanilla, chocolate, chocolate chip, chocolate chip cookie dough, mint, black cherry, raspberry, blueberry, orange sherbet, and...French vanilla."

"Okay. I see. Later, Yuuta." Dial tone.

"..." Yuuta picked up the racquet and pocketed the phone, deciding not to keep his mind on the matter for much longer. "Let's resume..."

--

Yuuta walked into the kitchen...and did a perfect double-take.

"Aniki...that's..."

Syuusuke stood there, smiling, right beside an ice cream cone with nine scoops on it. The tenth scoop was presumably hidden inside the cone.

"You even...I...it's in _order,_ isn't it?"

Syuusuke nodded happily.

"I. Uh. Um, thank you?"

Syuusuke grinned and handed his brother a spoon.

--

_Ten scoops of ice cream,_

_Nine Seigaku regulars,_

_Eight Fuji cameras,_

_Seven candy drops,_

_Six wasabi rolls,_

_Five love-games,_

_Four tennis shoes,_

_Three rolls of grip tape,_

_Two ex-boyfriends,_

_And a cactus named Mizuki._


	11. Chapter 11: The Eleventh Day

**A/N: -Giggles insanely.-**

**Title: **The Twelve Days of Fujicest (11/12)

**Rating:** G

**Fandom:** Prince of Tennis

**Pairing:** Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta

**Genre:** Romance/Humor

**Warnings: **First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.

**Summary: **Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

_On the eleventh day of Fujicest,_

_Aniki gave to me..._

_--_

"Oshitari-kun recommended it," Syuusuke explained as he turned out the lights.

--

"I don't even understand what they're saying," Yuuta said in disbelief.

Syuusuke sniffled into his tissue and cried a little more. "...He doesn't even know if she'll come back, and...oh..."

"My eyes," Yuuta cried, burying his head into his arms as the couple kissed feverishly.

"So cute," Syuusuke cooed, hugging his knees tightly.

--

"Not more, Aniki," Yuuta protested, holding out his arm span in front of the VCR. "You can't be serious. I go back to St. Rudolph tomorrow and you waste my second-to-last day watching bad romance movies...that you and Oshitari-san actually think are good. What is with tensai and cliché romance - "

"Just this last one," Syuusuke insisted.

Which was a lie.

--

Yuuta was painfully reminded that today was the eleventh day.

--

_...Eleven sappy movies,_

_Ten scoops of ice cream,_

_Nine Seigaku regulars,_

_Eight Fuji cameras,_

_Seven candy drops,_

_Six wasabi rolls,_

_Five love-games,_

_Four tennis shoes,_

_Three rolls of grip tape,_

_Two ex-boyfriends,_

_And a cactus named Mizuki._


	12. Chapter 12: The Twelfth And Last Day

**A/N: Well, it's been fun. Do enjoy :)**

**Title: **The Twelve Days of Fujicest (12/12)  
**Rating: **G  
**Fandom: **Prince of Tennis  
**Pairing: **Fuji Syuusuke x Fuji Yuuta  
**Genre: **Romance/Humor  
**Warnings: **First-name referral, because 'Fuji' is obsolete in a story that revolves around both of them. And Syuusuke is a warning in himself.  
**Summary: **Syuusuke counts the days between their birthdays and comes up with a holiday of their own.  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.

--

"Happy birthday, Syuusuke," Yumiko cheerfully greeted her younger brother. Yuuta grumbled something along those lines, chewing a bite of raspberry pie.

"Thank you, 'nee-san, Yuuta," Syuusuke returned with a glamorous smile. "Good morning, too..."

"I know it's only once every four years, but I have to go out for two hours," Yumiko added with a sad undertone to her soprano. "I guess you'll have to just hang around Yuuta for a while...is that okay? I could always cancel my appointment if you want - "

"It's fine, 'nee-san," Syuusuke interrupted earnestly. "I wanted to spend some time with Yuuta, anyway..."

Yumiko nodded happily. "Alright then, Syuusuke. I'll see you later, then!"

--

The two Fuji brothers were walking down the street, in complete and utter silence. Yuuta didn't know what to say; Syuusuke had too much to say and was having problems sorting it all out.

"Yuuta...I'm sorry." Yuuta glanced over at his older counterpart in surprise.

"For what?"

"Ah...nothing," Syuusuke murmured, gazing away.

--

Syuusuke and Yuuta were picking out Pocky flavours when he said it again. "Yuuta, I'm really sorry." His hand lingered over a box of noshuku ichigo Dessert Pocky, then dropped over a Marble box – green tea and chocolate swirl. Syuusuke picked up the box and examined the nutrition facts.

"Because of...?" Yuuta trailed off, attention diverted as his eyes caught on a box of chocolate Mousse.

"I...I'm sorry," Syuusuke repeated, caressing a honey and milk flavoured box. "Everything I've done for the past twelve..." He paused to think, then shook his head and turned away.

Yuuta mentally counted back. Twenty nine minus twelve...Eighteen? That was i his /i birthday. It'd started on his birthday, then. What had happened on his birthday?

The cactus. The cactus that he'd named Mizuki.

_Oh. _He got it now. For the past twelve days, Syuusuke had been dragging him around Tokyo, against his will, and basically making it a painful visit home. It'd all been a _revenge deal _because he'd named that cactus after Mizuki. What the Hell? He didn't know his brother hated Mizuki-san _that _much...this was absolutely _insane!_

"I get it now," Yuuta said aloud, glaring at Syuusuke and dropping the three Mousse boxes he'd been holding. "I _get _it." The opening and widening of Syuusuke's eyes only proved this theory to be true, and Yuuta trembled with rage. "I don't _believe_ you, Aniki!"

"Yuuta, it's not – you're not..." Syuusuke failed to come up with an appropriate response. He dropped his sweets as well to grasp at his hair and flail. "I'm sorry...No, this was..."

"Twelve days," Yuuta snarled contemptuously. "Twelve days in which you _torture _me because of that damn cactus's name - "

"Oh. _Oh._" Syuusuke almost smiled, he was so relieved. "Yuuta, it's not...it's not that."

"..." Yuuta was shocked. Or, well, something close to it. "...Then...what is this whole..."

Syuusuke took his brother by the hand. "Come, Yuuta," he said softly. "Let's go home. I'll...show you..."

Yuuta's hand tingled, and he nodded obediently.

--

"When we go into your room," Syuusuke stated calmly, "please don't...jump to conclusions. I'll explain why." Cradled under his left arm was a miniature keyboard, the type five-year-olds were given as toys. Yuuta vaguely wondered why Aniki had it.

Then, with the elegant sweep of his hand, the door opened, and Yuuta gaped.

When he finished scraping his jaw off the floor, he demanded to know, "_Why?_"

"Because...I was jealous," Syuusuke admitted, then set the baby piano on the desk and started to play. Yuuta was baffled; then Syuusuke started to sing. And in _English_, nonetheless.

"_On the twelfth day of Fujicest,  
__Aniki gave to me,  
__Twelve apologies,  
__Eleven sappy movies,  
__Ten scoops of ice cream,  
__Nine Seigaku regulars,  
__Eight Fuji cameras,  
__Seven candy drops,  
__Six wasabi rolls,  
__Five love-games...  
__Four tennis shoes,  
__Three rolls of grip tape,  
__Two ex-boyfriends,  
__And a promise of eternal love_."

His voice was surprisingly beautiful.

Syuusuke ended the piano part, then turned to Yuuta, his face dead serious and eyes open and vulnerable. "Yuuta, I love you."

"I..." Yuuta didn't know how to answer, but he had to. So he poured out truth, because that was what his brother had just done. "Aniki...I like spending time with you, even if it is treacherous sometimes...I think you're really nice and smart and wonderful...and I feel really nice whenever you praise me or...but...I don't know if I feel that way about you or not...and well, we're brothers, it makes it awkward for me..." A soft laugh, and Yuuta found himself in an embrace.

"You don't have to love me now, Yuuta. Just...do it eventually, won't you?" Syuusuke pressed a light kiss to Yuuta's forehead, right above the x-shaped scar, and then retracted, smiling warmly. "I don't care how long it takes. Eternal love means love that lasts forever, you know."

"...I know." Yuuta buried his face in the curve between Syuusuke's neck and shoulder. "Thank you, Aniki." He paused momentarily to look at his brother. "Hey, wait...you didn't really apologize twice - "

"Five times throughout the duration of there twelve days," Syuusuke said as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "So, Yuuta. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I - "

"It's fine, Aniki," Yuuta laughed, eyes sparkling in their mirth. "I was teasing."

Syuusuke grinned. "I knew that.

--

**Owari**

Word Count (for this chapter only) - 924


End file.
